


you pick me (and i'll pick you)

by RaeDMagdon



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Blowjobs, Eating out, F/F, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, High School AU, Knotting, Loss of Virginity, Mating, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Modern AU, Omegaverse, Oral Sex, alpha!Adora, my followers asked for this and here it is lol, omega!Catra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2020-10-04 23:20:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20479127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeDMagdon/pseuds/RaeDMagdon
Summary: During the last few weeks of her senior year, Catra decides to 'practice' mating before going off to college. And who better (and safer) to practice with than her insufferably noble best friend, Adora?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just... use condoms. This story is fantasy material (obviously, since omegaverse isn't real) and I have kinks I enjoy writing about. But in real life, just fucking use condoms if you're someone with a vagina having sex with someone with a penis, okay?

Catra wiggled her toes in her combat boots, scribbling faint lines on her desk with the blunt, worn end of her No. 2 pencil. Her mind wasn’t really on artwork, defacing school property, or the mostly-blank test in front of her.  _ Just one more month of school. Four weeks. Twenty days. Then, summer. College. Freedom. _

She took stock of what she’d drawn: a childish-looking stick figure of the person seated next to her. Adora. Her best friend. An adorably and obnoxiously noble alpha.

They’d shared the same foster placement up until a few months ago, when Adora had turned eighteen and left to crash on her annoying friend Glimmer’s couch. Getting over the sting of Adora’s departure hadn’t been easy, but lately, things had been better between them. Not the same as before, but… good enough.

From the next desk over, Adora caught Catra’s eye—then noticed the stick figure. The alpha snorted, hiding a grin, then pulled an unconvincing expression of disapproval. Giving a small shake of her head, she glanced meaningfully back down at the test they were supposed to be taking.

Catra rolled her eyes while their teacher’s back was turned. Although she wasn’t a poor student by any means—she’d narrowly lost out on valedictorian, which had gone (predictably) to Adora—her heart wasn’t in it. She’d been accepted to Brightmoon University, she and Adora were no longer competing, and she simply didn’t care about schoolwork anymore.

Adora stuck out her lower lip in a pout, and Catra heaved a sigh, reluctantly returning to her work.  _ Math. Ugh. _ She tried to concentrate on the problem in front of her, but all the formulas floated away. Her mouth opened in a wide yawn, and her eyes wandered to the window.

It was a beautiful spring day, with clear blue skies and fluffy white clouds that looked comfortable enough to fall asleep on. Other students, the lucky ones who had gym in the afternoon instead of early morning, were playing kickball. 

Catra groaned under her breath. She  _ really _ would’ve preferred to be outside, playing with Lonnie and Scorpia and the rest, especially on a day like this. The classroom was stuffy and sweltering, like the AC hadn’t kicked on.

_ Is it just me, or is it stupidly hot in here? _ She shook her mane, returning to her test, but her pencil slipped in her sweaty hand. She couldn’t seem to get comfortable in her seat, either. She squirmed, rubbing her thighs together, and her tail lashed in irritation.

After the next problem, Catra turned her attention to other calculations.  _ How long since my last heat?  _ She’d always been lazy about tracking them, probably because she resented her status as an omega to begin with.  _ Maybe ‘resent’ isn’t the right word. Being an omega is okay. I just hate how some idiots treat us. _

Then there was the mating bite. Although it could fade when mates drifted apart, they were more or less a permanent symbol. Deep down, in a part of herself she rarely visited, Catra longed for the safety and security the bite offered. It meant belonging to someone else, someone who likely wouldn’t leave like pretty much everyone else on the planet.

But her pride and common sense balked at the thought. Pick the wrong alpha, and she’d be little more than their property. She could always bite back, of course—make her own mark—but not all alphas allowed it. The nice, respectful ones, rare as they were… 

Her gaze wandered back, as always, to Adora. The alpha was focused on her test, the tip of her tongue sticking out from the corner of her mouth. Her skin glowed a healthy golden shade, even in the unflattering fluorescent light, and when she took a brief stretch break, lacing her fingers behind her head, Catra couldn’t help but admire her broad shoulders.

_ Knock it off, perv. Adora’s your best friend. It’s too weird.  _ But despite her best efforts, Catra’s mind drifted. It wandered back in time, to their early teen years, when she and Adora had been especially close. It had been the two of them against the world.  _ Shit, I miss those days. _

Not that it had been easy. Shadow Weaver had been as manipulative as always, and there’d been puberty to deal with, too. Awkward, uncomfortable puberty in all its horror, complete with the anguish of heats that Catra was nowhere near old enough to satisfy in the natural way. She’d made do with off-brand medication, a miniature fan, and the detachable showerhead. She twitched noticeably at the thought.

_ That showerhead might be the one fucking thing I miss when I go to college… _

Although that brought to mind a different problem. She wasn’t a horny thirteen-year-old anymore. Now that she was college-bound, legally an adult, maybe she’d outgrown the showerhead. Most omegas her age had moved on to flesh and blood alphas to satisfy their heats. There were exceptions, of course—the types who weren’t much interested in sex or dating to begin with—but with growing horror, Catra realized she was one of a dwindling number.

_ It’s fine for the ones who don’t want sex in the first place—but I do. I’ve always been horny as shit. What if I go to college and make a total idiot of myself because I haven’t done it before? _

No. Unacceptable. She’d never been bad at anything in her life, and she refused to start with this. Practice was in order. Practice with someone safe. Someone reliable. Someone who wouldn’t be an asshole about the whole thing—and that was a tall order, considering how most alphas behaved. 

Her eyes wandered back to Adora. Still seated beside her, still working diligently on her test. Focused and more than a little adorable.

A plan formed in Catra’s mind, and she smirked before remembering her discomfort. She shifted, causing her chair to creak. Adora’s head snapped up, and she gave Catra a shushing motion, which Catra returned with a wink.

_ Screw the test. I need to brainstorm my pitch. _

***

“So, you screwing anyone?”

Adora stopped short, standing in the middle of the sidewalk and staring open-mouthed at her companion. She was walking Catra home from school, as she did every day, although she always stopped at the end of the block before they reached Shadow Weaver’s house. But this topic of conversation was most definitely  _ not _ part of their normal routine.

_ “What?” _ she sputtered, watching Catra continue strolling along the sidewalk in utter disbelief. “What the—why would you even…”

Catra paused, sighed, and backtracked to where Adora had halted. “Fine. Rephrase. Have you mated with anyone yet?”

Adora fumbled for an answer. No, she hadn’t mated with anyone. She definitely would have told Catra if she had. But the question was so completely out of the blue that she found herself at a loss for words. Catra kept staring, her mismatched eyes growing more and more intense, until Adora summoned a response: “No?”

Catra blew the edges of her mane away from her face with an upward puff of air. “That an answer or a question, genius?”

Adora frowned. She wasn’t always the quickest on the uptake in social situations, but she knew Catra. The more her friend blustered, the more nervous she actually was, deep down. It had probably taken Catra a lot of courage to ask in the first place, despite her blunt method of delivery.

“No, I’m not seeing anyone. I would’ve told you.”

‘Seeing someone’ was a much politer euphemism, but Catra didn’t seem thrilled with it. “I didn’t ask if you were seeing anyone. I asked if you were fucking anyone.”

Adora flinched at the harsh language. “Answer’s still no—and I would’ve told you if I was. Why are you asking? This is really weird, Catra.”

“Was just thinking,” Catra said, adjusting her backpack far too casually. “Maybe we should try it.”

Adora blinked. Swallowed. Blinked again. She couldn’t believe what she’d heard. The words had come straight from Catra’s mouth, clear as day, but they’d thrown a wrench in her brain. The gears weren’t turning anymore.

“It’s not a big deal,” Catra insisted, while Adora continued her silent, dumbfounded stare. “Just a thought I had today. Might be nice to get it out of the way so we don’t make idiots of ourselves on the college scene, right?”

Adora’s face burned hotter than the springtime sun overhead. If she were being honest with herself, the idea had crossed her mind. On a regular basis, even. (Usually during extra long showers, when it wouldn’t cause noticeable problems.) She’d been attracted to Catra since she’d been old enough to understand what attraction was, but she’d ignored her childish crush for the sake of their friendship. She’d  _ never _ imagined Catra might feel the same way, let alone act on it.

She had to clear her throat several times before answering, and when she did, she had no idea what she was saying. “So, you want to…” She made vague hand gestures. “With me? But…”

“But what?” Catra interrupted. “We’re best friends, right? Unless Sparkles and Crop Top have taken that title from me.”

“You’re my best friend,” Adora declared. All three of them were her best friends, but she knew Catra wouldn’t understand the distinction, so she’d grown used to tip-toeing around the issue.

“It’s a good idea though, right?” Catra stepped closer, tail standing tall in a position Adora had learned to interpret as excitement. “We’re best friends, we trust each other—it’s probably safer than doing it with some random college alpha. And when some omega asks you to help them out, you won’t be a clueless idiot. About sex, anyway.”

_ Safer. _ And that was the crux of it. Adora understood Catra’s position with sudden clarity. As an omega, being sexual with anyone meant some degree of physical and emotional risk. Catra was usually all about risk-taking (as her cutthroat Monopoly strategies attested), but she also hated feeling vulnerable. And no one could mate for the first time without making themselves at least a  _ little _ vulnerable.

_ That’s why she’s asking me. I make her feel safe, even after all the drama with me leaving home.  _ The thought filled Adora’s chest with a warm glow. A dopey grin spread across her face, and she didn’t try to hide it, not even when Catra cast her a scornful look.

“Why’re you staring at me like that?” Catra grumbled, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other.

Adora kept grinning. “I just think it’s sweet.”

“Ew.” Catra recoiled, pulling a face. “It’s just mating, weirdo. Figure we should both do it sometime this century, and you suck less than most alphas.”

“Yeah, but you  _ picked _ me,” Adora insisted. Her grin showed no signs of fading.

“Don’t read into it.”

But Adora’s joy couldn’t be dampened. “Admit it. You  _ like _ me.”

“It’s not because I like you!” Catra tilted her chin, staring up at the sky with obvious exasperation. Her tail lashed in agitation. “You’re just safe. Like I said.”

“I’ll take safe,” Adora said, still beaming.  _ Even if Catra doesn’t have the same feelings I do, I can make sure she has a fun, safe first time. A win for both of us, right?  _ She felt a small twinge somewhere deep in her stomach, but decided to ignore it in favor of the butterflies erupting there. “I’m in. Let’s do it.” 

Catra snorted. “That’s what she said.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Duh. I asked you first.”

They both laughed, and it felt just like old times. The golden feeling didn’t fade away completely as they continued their walk home, and Adora didn’t risk saying anything when Catra reached out and held her hand for the last two blocks. She was perfectly content to stay silent and enjoy it.

***

Catra hovered outside the revolving doors that led into the lobby of the Whispering Woods Inn. She’d never been inside, but she’d passed the small motel plenty of times on the way to and from the gas station. Even though the motel was within her usual stomping grounds, she felt out of place. Like she didn’t belong. She clutched the small paper bag she’d brought along tightly in her hand, ignoring the way it crinkled.

A few tired-looking betas in suits stepped around her, walking through the revolving doors with luggage in tow. None paid her the least bit of attention as they passed, and that buoyed her confidence.  _ Come on, Catra. Don’t be a fraidy cat. They don’t know what you’re here for. They don’t care that you’re in heat… or can they tell, and they’re deliberately trying to ignore me? _

As if her internal pep talk had summoned them, two alphas rounded the nearest corner—a young female with goat horns and light pink skin, accompanied by a short, broad-shouldered female lizard with dark diamond patterns on her bare arms. They stopped, sniffed, and eyed her up and down, whispering to each other.

Catra snarled in their direction before hurrying inside. She burst through the revolving doors and strode straight past the welcome desk, heading in a random direction in hopes of finding an elevator. Luckily, she arrived at one in short order. She pressed the call button, suppressing a shudder.

_ Alphas don’t scare me, _ she told herself as she waited.  _ I could kick their asses any day. _ But that wasn’t really the problem.

She’d always been tough. A scrapper. Ready and able to defend herself. Without parents, thrown in and out of the system, she’d had no choice but to learn fast. But she was an omega, and sometimes that felt like wearing a target on her back. If an alpha caught her at the wrong moment, she feared she wouldn’t remember  _ how _ to fight. Nor would she want to. Instinct would take over, and then…

The elevator arrived. Catra hurried in, relieved to have the small space to herself. At least she wouldn’t have to share the ride with anyone. She pressed the button for the fifth floor, shifting impatiently from footpaw to footpaw as the elevator began its slow ascent.  _ Ding.  _ The doors opened, and Catra shifted the white bag to her left hand, pulling her phone out of her jacket. She checked her last text message from Adora to make sure of the room:

_ ‘Room 506. See you there.’ _ It was followed by a blushing smiley face and a glittery rainbow heart, which had made Catra’s stomach lurch when she’d first seen it. In an attempt to save face, she’d responded with an eggplant and a peach.

Soon, she arrived at room 506. Taking a deep breath, she stuffed her phone in her pocket and knocked.

The door opened immediately. Adora’s golden, beaming face burst into view, and Catra nearly took a step back. Innocent enthusiasm practically vibrated off the alpha, and it had a curious effect on Catra, too. Her legs wobbled, and a rush of heat shot straight between her legs, making short work of her bikini briefs.

_ What the fuck? _

This had never happened before. She’d been around Adora on the cusp of her heat in the past. And yeah, if she was honest with herself, the bulk of her heat-fantasies were about the strong, gentle alpha—but she’d always assumed that was just proximity. Hints of Adora’s scent, since they lived in the same house. Someone easy for her mind to latch onto. But a wall of alpha pheromones had hit her as soon as Adora opened the door, leaving her utterly helpless. She whimpered, almost dropping to her knees.

Adora’s eyes widened in alarm. “Catra? Are you okay?”

Catra barely heard the words. Moisture flooded her mouth, and much lower down, as her eyes flicked to the crotch of Adora’s pants. Yep. Right there, clear as day, was a considerable bulge. She’d glimpsed it a few times before, usually when Adora snuck into her room at night for cuddles. They’d been a lot younger then.

When the young alpha’s cock had made an appearance, tenting her underwear, Catra had just snickered and said: “Heh. How embarrassing for you.” And Adora had hit her square in the face with a pillow. It hadn’t been a big deal. (At least, that was what Catra had told herself while masturbating furiously to the mental image in the shower.)

Now, things were different. They weren’t kids anymore. And in a few minutes, Adora’s cock would be going inside her. Definitely not something to laugh at.

Adora noticed the stare. Her blue eyes widened, turning a shade darker. “Catra?” The bulge in her pants gave a visible twitch.

Catra shook herself back to reality. She put a hand on Adora’s shoulder—partially to catch herself if her shaking legs gave out—and stepped past her into the hotel room. “Let’s not stand in the hall like idiots,” she mumbled by way of explanation.

“Wait.” Adora moved away, and a disappointed pang hit Catra’s lower belly as the alpha stepped out of reach. She managed to restrain herself from reaching out, though, as Adora bent to pick up the small white bag from the floor. “You dropped this.”

She held it out, and Catra licked her lips. When she took it from Adora’s hand, their fingers brushed, and the same pang returned, sharper than before. Catra was beginning to recognize the stabbing sensation as desire, and she shuddered as it coursed through her.

“Condoms,” she said by way of explanation. “And pills for me. Took my first one yesterday.”

Adora smiled—a smile that made Catra’s fur stand on end in the most delightful way. “I brought condoms too. Great minds think alike?”

“Yeah.” Catra stepped back so Adora could enter the hotel room as well. Only then did she notice her surroundings.

The hotel room wasn’t merely clean, but decorated for romance. Adora had brought several lavender-scented candles along, and they burned on the nightstands and desk. A comfortable-looking black blanket had been draped over the bed. She’d even plugged her phone into the hotel’s alarm clock charger, and soft music played from its speakers.

“Shit,” Catra said, ignoring the sting in her eyes.  _ I’m not crying. Has to be the candles. _ “You didn’t have to do all this for me.”

“I wanted to,” Adora said. “I know we’re not, um. Going out, exactly. But I thought it’d make things nice? For you.”

She sounded so sweet, so hopeful, that Catra couldn’t find the will to crack a sarcastic joke. Instead, she gave Adora a hesitant smile. “S’nice.”

“Really?” If Adora’d had a tail, she would’ve been wagging it.

“Really.”

***

Adora’s chest puffed out with pride. She’d felt the churnings of doubt in her stomach at the mall when she’d picked up the candles, while making the playlist, and on the way to the motel itself, but it was all worth it to see the smile on Catra’s face.

_ She doesn’t think it’s weird or too much. She likes it! _

Thoughts of other things Catra might like sent another eager twinge along Adora’s length. It was a little embarrassing that something as simple as a smile—and Catra’s delicious, mouth-watering scent—could stir such a strong reaction, but she wasn’t surprised, either. It wasn’t the first time Catra had caused this particular problem in her pants.  _ But this time, I don’t have to hide it.  _ She tried to assume a confident pose, placing her hands on her hips. “So, uh, do you wanna watch some TV and see what happens? Or—”

Catra made the decision by grabbing the front of Adora’s dark crimson jacket and pulling her close. Adora’s eyes widened. Catra’s face was suddenly inches away from hers, and all her powers of speech vanished. She could only stare, breathing loud and heavy, cock straining against her underwear. 

The smell of an omega in heat—Catra’s familiar scent, sweet like cut grass and much stronger than usual—had ensnared her. She’d smelled it before, of course. Sharing a house, traces of it had lingered everywhere, especially on Catra’s clothes and sheets. Adora was struck by the thought that she wanted the omega’s scent on  _ her _ instead.

“Well?” Catra stared at her, mismatched eyes narrowed in playful challenge. “Show me what you got. Or are you too chicken to kiss me?”

Adora had never backed down from Catra’s dares, and she wasn’t about to start now. She wrapped an arm around Catra’s waist and closed the last bit of distance between their bodies. Catra gasped, arching as Adora’s cock pressed into her lower belly, and her mouth opened the slightest bit.

It was the opening Adora had hoped for. She tilted her head, catching Catra’s lips with her own. A spark zipped down her spine. She was kissing Catra— _ finally _ —and her fantasies didn’t hold a candle to the reality.

Catra’s mouth was hungry. Forceful. Her tongue and teeth made their presence known until she seemed to realize Adora wasn’t kissing back. She stopped, whimpering, obviously confused. Only then did Adora move her own lips, at a much slower pace.

It went on like that for a full minute. Adora kept things gentle, and whenever Catra got too enthusiastic, she stopped kissing, simply letting their mouths rest together until Catra got hold of herself again.

“What the  _ fuck _ ?” Catra growled after the third round of teasing, pulling their mouths apart with a soft click.

Adora ran her tongue over her lower lip. Catra’s fangs had definitely nicked it, because she tasted a hint of copper. But she didn’t mind. Quite the opposite. It made her think of other, forbidden fantasies she’d had… fantasies of  _ biting. _ Claiming. Something Catra would definitely never agree to.

“I’ve, um. Thought about doing this. Before, you know? I don’t want to rush it. That’s all.”

Catra looked taken aback. She blinked rapidly, ears flattening with something Adora could only interpret as sheepishness. But when she leaned in to kiss Adora again, their mouths met softer than before. Tingling warmth spread through Adora’s limbs, gathering low in her belly. She decided she liked slow—but hopefully not _ too _ slow.

They kissed for a long time, until they both wordlessly decided to move to the bed. The backs of Adora’s knees hit the mattress, but she couldn’t sit, because Catra had started removing her jacket. She lifted her arms to help, and Catra took the opportunity to strip off her shirt as well.

“You too?” Adora asked. Part of her burned to be naked in front of Catra, but an even stronger part needed Catra bare as well. She wanted to see. To know. To learn every facet of the omega’s body. Her hands, which had settled on Catra’s hips, ached with longing.

Catra chuckled. “Now who’s impatient?” But she stripped her own skin-tight red tank top up and off without complaint before moving on to her leggings.

Adora’s eyes widened with admiration. She’d seen Catra in nothing but underwear before. Had seen her bare back while she turned away to change. Had even caught a glimpse of her entirely naked once or twice after forgetting to knock on the bedroom door. (She’d never, ever snuck peeks on purpose, but the ones she’d gotten by accident were burned into her brain.)

And yet, this time, it was different.

Her heart pounded. She forgot how to breathe. The ache between her legs became absolutely unbearable, and she thought she might burst through her boxers. “Wow,” she sighed—the only word she could summon. And Catra hadn’t even taken off her bikini briefs or her undershirt yet.

Catra hesitated. Her hands remained on the hem of her undershirt, and Adora saw her flash a rare, hopeful smile—far sweeter than her usual goading smirk. Then she seemed to recover, and she stripped the undershirt over her head and shucked her panties.

“You too. Fair’s fair.”

Adora swallowed. She knew she should take off her underwear—her strained cock practically demanded it—but she couldn’t remember how to move her fingers. It took some awkward squirming and fumbling to get started, and when one of her knees refused to cooperate, Catra stepped in.

“Stop before you hurt yourself, dummy. Here.”

She dropped to her knees, bringing Adora’s boxers down with a quick tug.

Adora flinched as her cock hit the cool air. Wetness pearled at the tip, threatening to slide down along the shaft, and just looking at Catra, who was positively staring at her, made her twitch. She took a nervous, shaky breath and tried to force a smile. “So?”

Catra didn’t respond with words. She wrapped her hand around the base of Adora’s shaft, squeezing as if to test its firmness. 

Adora’s eyes rolled back in her head. She sat abruptly, catching herself on her hands.  _ “Fuck,” _ she blurted out, tensing her stomach in a pathetic attempt to restrain herself. Just the thought that it was  _ Catra’s _ hand on her cock and not her own threatened to make her spill far too soon.

***

Adora’s cock was magnificent. 

Catra hadn’t seen many others—mostly in porn—but it didn’t matter. She already knew Adora was the most beautiful alpha she’d ever seen, or would ever see, and had the equipment to match.

From the blunt head, down the long, smooth shaft, to the place where Adora’s outer lips flared wide around the base, it was absolutely breathtaking. The tip was tinged a light shade of pink, and wetness glinted in the slit at its center.

Catra didn’t even remember dipping down to take it in her mouth. She just did. She pulled the soft-looking tip between her lips, rolling her tongue over the gleaming furrow. Adora’s taste spread through her mouth, and she groaned her approval. The wetness tasted like Adora smelled: sharp, salty, with a tinge of sweetness to counteract the pleasant bitterness.

It was everything she’d never known she needed. She forgot that this was supposed to be practice. She forgot her desire to frame this as a game, or a competition. Her omega instincts demanded she serve, and serve she did, taking Adora deeper despite her inexperience.

That proved to be a mistake. She choked as the head hit the back of her throat, and had to retreat a few inches. Luckily, Adora didn’t seem to mind, or even notice. Her eyes were half-lidded, and she’d clutched the sheets in tight fists. The muscles of her abdomen clenched, becoming even more defined. Her breasts rose and fell with her quick, shallow breaths.

“Catra…” One of Adora’s hands came to rest between Catra’s ears, pressing gently down. “You don’t have to… this is supposed to be for you…” But the alpha’s body belied that statement, because she kept pushing—although never forcefully—and her length twitched against Catra’s tongue.

Catra could have argued the point, but she decided Adora was in no fit state for a debate. Neither was she. For some reason, sucking Adora’s cock made the ache between her own legs flare to life, and she knew she  _ needed _ to keep doing it.

It wasn’t too difficult to figure out. Adora gave the strongest reactions when Catra sucked the head, so she focused there. She wrapped her fist around the shaft, giving it a few squeezes and shallow pumps as she lavished attention on the tip. Whenever Adora moaned or tugged her mane, lightning zipped down Catra’s spine.

_ Wait… is this what they mean by omegas loving to serve? It’s just… making someone you like feel good? And enjoying their pleasure? That’s not so terrible.  _ A sense of relief washed over her at the realization.  _ I like doing this. I like how Adora tastes and smells, and it doesn’t make me feel weak.  _ If her mouth hadn’t been stuffed full, she would’ve smiled. There was power in this act as well as submission.

After that, her confidence grew. She put her all into the task, delighting in every hoarse cry Adora gave. Soon, Adora started throbbing. The base of her shaft swelled, becoming bulkier and firmer, and Catra cupped her hands around it. Even though she hadn’t taken Adora all the way down her throat, the alpha had started to knot. She withdrew to the tip of Adora’s cock, massaging the pounding base while flicking her tongue over the head.

“Catra,  _ oh shit Catra,  _ I—I’m gonna…”

But Catra didn’t heed the alpha’s warning. She sped up, dragging the flat of her tongue in a slow, wet circle. Adora went rigid, throwing her head back and shouting Catra’s name. Her cock gave a curious ripple, then spilled, pumping a rush of come into Catra’s mouth.

Although Catra had tried to prepare herself, the gush of heat took her by surprise. She swallowed reflexively, enjoying how warm Adora’s come felt sliding down her throat, but there was more than she’d expected. She couldn’t keep up, and some slid from the corners of her mouth, dripping back down onto Adora’s knot.

That didn’t discourage Catra in the least. Ignoring the mess, she sucked and swallowed for all she was worth. She still didn’t know exactly what she was doing, but Adora was in heaven, judging from the trembling tension in her limbs and the deliriously happy look on her face. Her open mouth had taken on a smile, and it tugged at Catra’s heart.

Gradually, the flood waned. Adora whimpered and flopped back onto the mattress, still twitching a little. Her knot remained, but the shaft above softened, drooping to half-mast as Catra let it slide from her mouth.

“Wow,” Adora murmured. Her eyes had closed, but she was still grinning. “That was… wow.”

Catra laughed. A happy, genuine laugh—the kind she didn’t often share with anyone except Adora. “Guess so. You look wiped out.”

“Am not.” Adora’s lower lip stuck out in a pout. She found the strength to prop herself up on her elbows and look down at Catra. “Just gimme a minute. I’ll be good to go again.”

Catra’s inner walls clenched at the promise. “Yeah?”

Adora patted the mattress. “C’mon up here. What’re you still doing on the floor?”

The thought of having her warm, naked body pressed against Adora’s warm, naked body was too tempting to resist. Catra bounded onto the bed, but instead of lying down for cuddles, she prowled over Adora’s prone form. Adora surprised her in turn by sitting up and wrapping an arm around her waist, drawing her closer.

Their new position put Catra’s breasts directly in front of Adora’s mouth. She tried to say something—crack a joke, maybe—but the sound became a delighted whine as Adora’s lips wrapped around her nipple.

The soft swipe of Adora’s tongue sent another surge of heat between her legs. Her outer lips, already puffy and slick, started dripping and smearing all over her thighs. She shoved her claws through Adora’s hair, careful not to rake the alpha’s scalp, and held her there. “Fuck! Guhh, that’s… it feels… your tongue is  _ so soft…” _

Adora chuckled around her prize. She let go with a soft pop, much to Catra’s distress, and said, “Oh? Well, your tongue was pretty soft too, but it had a light rasp on it.” She paused, blowing a cool stream of air directly over Catra’s wet nipple. “I loved it.”

“Mean,” Catra growled, attempting to pull Adora back to her breast. But Adora had other plans. She kissed across to the opposite breast, suckling that nipple instead, and Catra gasped. She bit her lip to stifle any more embarrassing sounds, but they came out anyway, loud and more than a little desperate.

Adora spent a good while there, kissing back and forth between Catra’s breasts and driving her absolutely insane. Catra’s mind descended into a lustful haze, a place of pure, aching want. She recognized the greedy, hyper-sensitive state, the longing for an alpha’s—no, for  _ Adora’s  _ touch anywhere and everywhere, but she’d never felt it so keenly. It was beyond the heatsick moments she’d spent shivering in the shower, shoving her own fingers as deep as they would go. Her body seemed to know true satisfaction was finally within reach, and she trembled and whined for the want of it.

Adora pulled back, staring up at Catra with cloudy blue eyes, and wrapped both hands around her hips. An insistent tug guided Catra forward, and she followed, though her next whimper held a note of confusion.

“Catra?” Adora lay back, moving her hands to Catra’s rear, and continued pulling until Catra found herself kneeling on either side of Adora’s head.

“Adora…”

“Your mouth was amazing. But unless you aren’t in the mood, you come first from now on. Always.”

Then Adora pulled down, and Catra cried out as the alpha’s mouth wrapped around her clit.

***

Adora ran her hands along the soft, short-clipped fur of Catra’s thighs, enjoying the heat radiating from the omega’s skin. Everything about Catra was soft and warm, even the way she smelled and tasted. The flavor was stronger than Adora had expected, but it only took her a few tentative licks to decide she liked it. After that, she dove in, searching out the spots that made Catra mewl.

It wasn’t hard to find them. Sucking Catra’s clit earned high-pitched gasps, and made her thighs and rear tense. Slipping down to her entrance earned lower noises, and nearly made Catra melt on top of her. Or maybe she was melting. Within a matter of moments, the lower half of Adora’s face was drenched.

Gradually, Catra’s moans became louder, pleading, insistent. “Inside,” she growled, tugging Adora’s hair. Then, softer, she added: “Please?”

Adora couldn’t deny her. In that moment, she doubted she could’ve denied Catra anything in the world. She cupped one of her hands between Catra’s legs and slid in with one finger, grinning as the omega’s muscles clenched around it, trying to pull it deeper.

Catra started rocking on her hand immediately. “Fuck,” she grunted, taking the finger as far as possible. “More, please,  _ please fuck more.” _

Adora laughed as she added a second finger, but the sound became a soft gasp of wonder as she watched what she was doing. Catra’s pussy really was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. The outer lips were covered in damp, dark brown fur, incredibly soft and fluffy to the touch, while her inner lips were pink and bare. Her clit stood out, a perfect pink pearl protruding from beneath a delicate hood. It was larger than Adora had expected, with a few smooth bumps at regular intervals around the shaft, but it fit perfectly in her mouth. Probably a Magikat thing.

She leaned forward at the same time Catra pulled her back in. With a groan, she resumed sucking, inhaling deep draughts of Catra’s heat-scent as she explored with her fingers. This was the source, and she would’ve happily drowned in it.

Before long, Adora discovered another delightful secret about Catra’s body. The omega’s front wall had a series of swollen ridges, which protruded when she pressed into them. Catra made a noise that could only be described as a squeal, and a swift jet of wetness hit the heel of Adora’s hand. Adora didn’t let surprise stop her. She resumed sucking, applying as much pressure to the spot as she could.

_ “Fuuuck!” _

Catra’s hips gave several unsteady jerks. Then, she froze. Her tail fluffed, sticking straight out, and her limbs tightened, quivering with unreleased tension. Her inner walls tightened as well, and Adora was surprised at how strong they were. She found she could barely move her fingers.

Luckily, Catra had already hit her peak. She came with a gush of clear fluid, soaking Adora’s face and running down her wrist.

Adora kept going for as long as possible. Her lungs burned with the need for air, but she didn’t let go of Catra’s clit, and she didn’t stop hooking her fingers into the spot she’d discovered. Each movement coaxed out more wetness, and soon, there was a sizeable puddle on the sheets as well.

Only when Catra went limp and started tugging her hair did Adora stop. She did so reluctantly, placing one last kiss on the tip of Catra’s clit, then dropping another kiss on her thigh. “Any good?” she asked, unable to hide her smirk. She already knew the answer.

Catra started down at her in disbelief, apparently lost for words. She blinked several times before she finally managed to reply. “Sure you haven’t done this before? You didn’t squeeze in some secret practice with Crop Top or some other omega, right?”

Adora wrinkled her nose. “Ew. No. Bow’s just my friend. Besides, his set-up’s a bit different, I assume.”

“Well, we’re friends, so that excuse doesn’t hold water,” Catra pointed out. “But fine, I believe you. Guess you’re naturally gifted.”

Adora couldn’t resist one more smart remark, now that the heat-haze had cleared a bit. Apparently, making Catra come had done the trick. “Lucky you.”

Catra tousled her hair, and for some reason, the playful gesture turned electrifying. They both gasped, smiles vanishing from their faces, and stared at each other, locking eyes.

Adora’s cock shot straight up toward the ceiling. It had hardened again while she’d been pleasuring Catra, but it seemed to sense it was needed, because suddenly, the ache was back, fullness that almost took her breath away.

Catra broke their stare, glancing over her shoulder. “Looks like Adora Junior is ready for action again.”

Adora tried not to blush. “Can we not name my dick, please?”

“Fine. But its services are needed.” Catra scooted back, kneeling over Adora’s lap instead of her head. She reached between her legs, spreading her outer lips apart with her fingers, and Adora bit her lip to stifle a groan.  _ Fuck. She’s beautiful. What’ve I gotten myself into?  _ The ache in her cock was nothing compared to the sudden pang in her chest.

“You okay with this?” Catra asked, her voice almost a purr. Her fingers played over her clit, and Adora felt the tip of her cock start to leak at the sight. “I’ve had the injection, so no pups, but I can grab a condom for—”

“Don’t!”

Adora was surprised how fast the word came out. Catra stared at her with mild alarm, so Adora tried again, more calmly this time. “It’s okay. I, uh—I got the condoms for you. Because I know you hate being… you know.  _ Vulnerable.” _

A slow blush spread across Catra’s freckled cheeks. “Really? That’s why you got ‘em?”

Adora nodded. “Yeah.”

Catra didn’t say anything else. She positioned herself over the slick tip of Adora’s cock and started sinking down.

The heat only touched Adora’s tip at first, the loveliest liquid warmth she’d ever felt. She throbbed, leaking faster, staring in awe. Her eyes jumped from the sight of her cockhead touching Catra’s pussy, to the look of adorable frustration on her face. She didn’t seem to be in pain—more like impatient as she tried to find the right angle. She brought her free hand to Adora’s shaft to help line things up, and Adora pulsed in the soft grip.

“Go slow,” she rasped, before she forgot how to speak altogether. “It’s okay.”  _ If you go any faster, I might come as soon as I’m inside you. _

But Catra was determined. She adjusted her hips, and Adora made a very loud, embarrassing noise as the tip of her cock sank forward into paradise. There was tightness, resistance, but Catra was also soaked with wetness. Somehow, Adora managed to fit the first inch inside. Barely. Her hands shot out, seizing Catra’s hips, but not to pull her down. Just for something to hold onto as she hovered on the brink.

Then Catra took the widest part of her head, sliding all the way to the top of her knot in one fluid stroke. Adora came, her entire body pounding like one big, fluttering heartbeat.

***

At first, Catra was confused. She didn’t realize why Adora’s fingers suddenly dug into her hips, or why the alpha threw her head back and arched. Then the rhythmic streams of wetness hit her inner walls, and Catra knew. Adora was coming.  _ Sweet idiot. You didn’t even manage to get your knot in. _

But as Adora spilled inside her, Catra’s amusement vanished. She put her hands over Adora’s, lacing their fingers together and squeezing hard. Her own need spiked with each pulse of Adora’s cock, and she stiffened, hurtling toward her own orgasm at a truly alarming rate.

_ Oh fuck, what’s happening?  _ For a brief moment, she was afraid, but then she took a deep breath, and Adora’s familiar smell filled her nose. She sighed with relief, and her body relaxed. The fullness was incredible. The stretch. The connection. It didn’t hurt nearly as much as she’d feared. In fact, it felt like her body had been built for this. For Adora. Or like Adora had been built for her.

Catra wasn’t surprised when Adora sat up, nor when the alpha reversed their positions, pulling out just enough to tip Catra on her back. Before she could even whimper at the loss, the alpha slid back in. Her come made entry even easier. Catra threw her arms around Adora’s waist, digging her claws into the alpha’s broad back as the knot bumped her clit. 

Adora’s hips started churning—hurried, selfish strokes. She’d forgotten all about her desire for slowness and care.  _ In, _ her alpha-scent demanded. Catra wrapped her legs around Adora’s waist, urging her to rut as hard and deep as possible. Somehow, she knew it was the only thing that could possibly satisfy her.

And it did satisfy her, only to bring her need roaring back even stronger. Each thrust was relief, each withdrawal agony. Catra clung to Adora as tightly as she could. Remaining still was impossible, so she bucked off the mattress, dragging the flat of her tongue along Adora’s sweat-dampened throat. It tasted good, and her scent lived there, and Catra nearly shuddered to pieces.

Adora shook, too. “Can I?” she pleaded, her breath hitting Catra’s neck fast and hot.

Catra wasn’t sure what Adora was asking, but the answer was yes either way. Yes to anything. She couldn’t remember why she’d been so afraid of this. It was Adora on top of her, inside her, with her every step of the way. Adora. The one person she could always trust. She moaned Adora’s name, offering herself up for anything her alpha desired.

Adora grunted, forcing her hips into a steady rhythm. Each stroke went deep, deep enough to make Catra’s inner walls clench. She knew she was probably yowling up a storm, but she couldn’t stop—and wasn’t sure she wanted to. Why  _ shouldn’t  _ the world know she was Adora’s, and Adora was hers?

_ She could mark me. Leave proof. _

The thought was electric. Catra stiffened, squeezing around Adora for all she was worth—but something inside her must have loosened, too, because Adora’s knot, which had been nudging against her entrance the entire time, suddenly slid into place with a loud, slick pop.

The moment it went in, Catra came. She dug her claws into Adora’s back and her teeth into Adora’s shoulder, muffling her screams in the taut flesh she’d seized. Her inner walls rippled wildly around Adora’s knot. It was thicker than anything she’d ever felt, or even imagined, and she was amazed it had fit inside her at all. Adora had filled her up completely. There wasn’t even a centimeter of room left.

But then another jet of come spilled inside her, and Catra found that she had more room after all. Adora’s hips snapped against hers, but the thrusts were shallow. With her knot lodged in place, she couldn’t manage long strokes.

Catra didn’t care. Adora’s cock hit deep, and the knot kept every drop of the alpha’s come safely inside. Without letting go of her hold on Adora’s shoulder, she tilted her head, offering her throat. There was no fear. No doubt. Only trust, and wave upon wave of pleasure.

When Adora bit down, blunt teeth breaking the skin of her throat, Catra felt an overwhelming sense of peace. The pleasure-pain that had been tormenting her, the fever of lust, finally broke, like a cooling rain on scorched earth. She smiled into her own bite, letting the rest of their shared release carry her instead of devouring her. It lifted her to the highest peak she’d ever climbed, but instead of falling, she floated. She floated weightlessly back into herself, and into Adora’s arms.

Finally, her orgasm faded to aftershocks. Adora shifted on top of her, emptying a few final, weak spurts before collapsing in exhaustion. She glowed with sweat, every inch the proud, noble alpha, and Catra had never loved all the things about Adora that annoyed and infuriated her more in her life.

_ Maybe that’s why they annoyed me. Because they make her a good mate—not just a good fuck—and I was scared.  _

“Catra?”

Catra suddenly realized that while Adora had released the mating hold, her teeth were still buried in the alpha’s shoulder. She withdrew her fangs, wincing when she saw the deep purple mark she’d left. Her teeth had broken skin, and their imprint was clear on top of the bruise. “Uh…”

A slightly worried look crossed Adora’s face. “Did you… not mean to do that?”

The heartbroken note in the question snapped Catra out of her stupor. “No! I mean—yes. Okay, I didn’t mean to do that, but I’m glad I did. I don’t regret it, and I’d do it again. Am I—does that make sense? Please tell me it makes sense…”

Adora’s face softened. “Yeah,” she laughed. “It makes sense. I wasn’t expecting it either… but I secretly hoped.”

Something about the way Adora was looking at her roused Catra’s suspicions. “How long’ve you been in love with me?” she asked, giving Adora her best don’t-fuck-with-me stare. Asking the question of Adora was far less frightening than confessing her own feelings first.

“Since always,” Adora said, without any hesitation at all. “I thought you knew and just didn’t feel the same.”

Catra was dumbfounded. Truly dumbfounded. The idea that someone could be in love with her had honestly never occurred to her. All her life, she’d been told she was unwanted. Unloved. Unloveable. And yet, here Adora was, claiming she always had been.

“You’re serious?”

Adora nodded. “Yeah. Maybe it was selfish, but when you asked for my help… well, I couldn’t resist, even if you didn’t love me back. I’m sorry.”

Catra burst out laughing. Adora stuck out her lip, looking a bit disappointed, until she clarified: “I’ve been telling myself for years I didn’t love you, because I thought I didn’t deserve to be loved back. I take back all the times I called you an idiot. I’m the idiot.”

Adora’s face split in her biggest grin yet. “Really?”

“Well,” Catra grumbled, flushing with embarrassment, “you don’t have to be all smug about it.” But she herself was smug about it, because someone had finally  _ picked her. _ She was Adora’s first and only choice. She felt like she’d won something, only a million times better.

“Heck yeah I’m smug about it,” Adora said, bubbling over with enthusiasm. “I’m gonna tell everyone I know about my amazing mate, and how lucky I am. Uh, I’ll leave out the more graphic details…”

“Or don’t. Make Sparkles and Crop Top squirm.” But inside, Catra’s heart was singing.  _ Mates. She called us mates. I have a mate! _

Adora nipped the side of Catra’s neck, opposite the first mark she’d left. As rebukes went, it wasn’t very effective—but it did remind Catra how warm and soft Adora’s mouth felt on her skin, and made her very aware of the thick knot still lodged inside her.

“What’s that for?” she asked, already wrapping her legs around Adora’s waist again in preparation.

Adora released her neck. “Other side looked lonely.”

Catra smirked. “Well, we’ve got the room for the weekend. Plenty of time for plenty of marks… and I’m not letting you leave until you have more than me.” Just to prove she meant it, Catra latched onto a sensitive-looking spot under Adora’s jaw.

Adora moaned, giving her hips a light jog. “Uhh… this is one competition I think I’ll be okay with losing.”


	2. Chapter 2

Catra held the sweating bottle of soda she’d purchased from the library’s outdoor vending machine, picking its plastic wrapper with her claws. She chewed nervously at her lip, ignoring the occasional patron who passed her picnic table on their way into the building. The pavilion outside the library definitely wasn’t one of her usual hangout spots, but she didn’t know where else to hide from Adora.

Living at Glimmer’s house had been tough. Exhausting, honestly. Angella was nice, an angel in more than name for letting her crash in Adora’s room for the two and a half awkward summer months before the start of their fall semester at Brightmoon University. She was kinder and fairer than several of the foster parents Catra had stayed with as a kid, and worlds better than Shadow Weaver.

But Angella was an alpha used to getting her way, and she had strict house rules. No snacks in the living room. Back home by ten. Mandatory board game nights. Catra _ hated _ rules, although she did like sharing a room with Adora and being far away from her former ‘guardian’, if Shadow Weaver could so be called. She also clashed with Glimmer, who often had different ideas about things, from what they should have for dinner to how Adora should spend her free time.

It was a relatively safe living situation, especially compared to other places Catra had stayed throughout her childhood, but she was acutely aware that she was the only omega among three alphas, and that she was a guest in someone else’s home. Angella could throw her out at any moment, though she seemed unlikely to do so. Catra had coped by dreaming of the day she and Adora could move into one of the Brightmoon dorms reserved for mated couples and make it their own.

Until now.

Now, their plans were fucked. Her future was fucked. Everything was fucked, and worst of all, she couldn’t even talk to Adora about it. Not yet. Not until she figured out some kind of plan. That was why she’d come here, in hopes of finding a quiet place to think, but the stressful white noise in her head was too loud and unceasing for that.

“Fuck me,” she groaned, popping the cap off her soda and taking a reluctant sip. It did little to settle her churning stomach. In fact, it made the nauseating ache worse. She took another swig anyway and slumped forward on the bench, resting her chin on her fist as she stared at the wooden beams of the pavilion.

_ Fuck me. That’s what got me into this mess, isn’t it? _

After stewing in her doubts and fears for a few minutes, Catra finally summoned enough energy to leave the bench. This environment wasn’t helping like she’d hoped, so there was no point in staying. She threw her empty soda away and grabbed her skateboard, preparing to go… where? The park, maybe. But Adora would look for her there, and Catra wasn’t ready to be found.

As she strapped on her helmet and pushed out onto the street, Catra headed in the direction of “home”, or what served as home for the moment. Maybe she could lie and say she was sick, that she needed to take an early night, and Adora wouldn’t bother her. _ No, that’s dumb. She’ll fuss over me and get my favorite snacks. _

If she’d actually been sick, Catra would have appreciated her mate’s thoughtfulness. As it was, the idea made her heart sink. Instead of taking the turn for Glimmer’s neighborhood, she continued on, skating toward Scorpia’s house. Scorpia, one of the few non-Adora-related friends she had. She’d be cool with an unannounced drop-in, Catra was sure. It beat going home and lying by omission, anyway.

***

“She still hasn’t texted,” Adora said, glancing worriedly between Glimmer and her phone. There were no new messages, no matter how many times she checked. No word from Catra. Nothing since early that morning, in fact, which was very unusual.

“M’surr she fuhn,” Glimmer said, far more interested in the hot dog she was shoving in her mouth.

Bow reached out, placing a comforting hand on Adora’s forearm. “I think what Glimmer means is, Catra likes to have her space. She probably wants to be alone for a few hours. It doesn’t necessarily mean something’s wrong.”

“I know,” Adora sighed, though she remained unconvinced. Usually, when Catra got the urge to go out and wander, she texted Adora first. Let her know where she was, how she was doing. This time, there was nothing, and to Adora, nothing was terrifying.

Glimmer swallowed her bite of hot dog, wiping mustard from her face with a napkin. “Catra can take care of herself,” she said, side-eyeing the cheese fries Bow had purchased from the skate park concession stand. They’d come here looking for Catra, but when they hadn’t found her, all three had agreed to stop for a quick lunch. “She’ll turn up by tonight. She’s been mostly good at keeping curfew.”

“I know,” Adora repeated, without looking up from her phone. All the staring in the world couldn’t seem to make the grey bubble with dots appear under Catra’s name.

“Hey,” Bow said, giving her forearm a friendly squeeze, “what’s the worst that could happen?”

“She could’ve gotten hit by a car on her skateboard, or maybe she got mugged and they took her phone, or—”

“Okay, not the answers I was looking for,” Bow said. “Let’s try again. What’s the most _ likely _ explanation?”

“That I pissed her off, so she’s hiding from me,” Adora said immediately.

“And can you think of anything you did to piss her off?”

Adora thought, just like she’d been thinking all morning, but nothing came to mind. It was true, Catra had been grouchy lately. Complaining about the dumbest things, like how their room smelled weird when it didn't. Turning her nose up at food she usually liked. “I don’t think so? I mean, she’s been grumpy—”

“Mmf. When’s she noh grumpee?” Glimmer said, through a mouthful of stolen cheese fries.

Adora felt a hot surge of protectiveness rise within her. “She’s only grumpy around you, ‘cuz you antagonize her.”

Glimmer swallowed and rolled her eyes. “She antagonizes me!”

Adora had to admit that was true. Catra wasn’t always nice to Glimmer either, although the two had become something like reluctant friends, due to their mutual connections to her. Their arguments were usually petty rather than substantive, although they’d shouted at each other over Parcheesi blockades more than once.

“Ease up, Glimmer,” Bow said, fixing her with a disapproving stare. “Adora’s just worried about her mate.”

Glimmer had the decency to look remorseful. “Sorry, I know. And you’re right, it’s weird that she hasn’t texted. Where should we look next?”

“We could text Scorpia and Double Trouble,” Adora suggested.

“I hope she’s not hanging around Double Trouble,” Glimmer muttered. “They’re bad news.”

“Not really,” Adora said. “You’re just annoyed they wore the same shirt as you to that party.”

“They follow me on instagram, and I posted pictures before I went out! They totally copied me. Who _ does _ that?”

Bow chuckled. “You need to let it go.”

“Yeah, well,” Glimmer muttered, with a dark furrow in her brow, “see how you feel when they steal your style and start wearing crop tops everywhere.”

“Better than stealing my cheese fries,” Bow said, dragging the greasy red and white checkered cardboard dish back toward him. It was almost empty, but he poured the last few crumbs into his mouth before tossing it in the trash. “Go ahead and text Scorpia, Adora. She might know where Catra is, if anyone does.”

***

“Do you want more popcorn?” Scorpia asked, picking up the mostly empty bowl, which they’d whittled down to unpopped kernels. “Because I can make more popcorn.”

Catra picked up a piece of popcorn which had fallen beside her leg and flicked it with two claws, hitting the pauldron-like carapace that covered Scorpia’s left shoulder dead on. “Calm your tits. I’m fine. Just stay here.”

She tried to say it casually, like it didn’t matter whether Scorpia stayed on the living room couch with her or not, but Scorpia, who wasn’t as airheaded as most people thought, immediately noticed her tone and sat back down.

“What’s wrong?” She set the popcorn bowl back on the coffee table, ignoring the credits of the terrible movie they’d just finished. “Do you wanna talk about it? You don’t _ have _ to talk about it, if you don’t want, but I’m a good listener and—”

Catra groaned, pinching the bridge of her forehead. Scorpia was a good friend, but her babbling could be… _ difficult _ to deal with, especially when she was already short on patience. “Actually, I changed my mind,” Catra said, nudging the bowl back toward Scorpia with her foot. “I do want more popcorn.”

“Okay!” Seemingly pleased to have something productive to do, Scorpia took the bowl and retreated into the kitchen. Catra let her head loll back against the couch, closing her eyes and listening to the sounds of Scorpia clattering around—and popcorn kernels scattering across the floor. “Whoops! Uh oh. Heh, these bags are so tear-y, aren’t they?”

Catra knew politeness dictated that she should get up and help, but she couldn’t bring herself to move. She had no idea what she’d do when she left the couch, so her “plan”, if it could be called that, was to stay there as long as possible, until her butt merged with the cushions. Maybe, just maybe, time would stop and her future problems wouldn’t creep any closer.

_ Hmph. Fat fucking chance. _

She breathed slowly for a while, listening to Scorpia clean up the spilled kernels and, presumably, put a fresh bag in the microwave. Her phone buzzed in the pocket of her leggings, but she didn’t bother pulling it out. Adora again, without a doubt.

Guilt churned in Catra’s stomach at her decision, but didn’t lend her enough strength to do anything about it. Her stomach hurt, and her heart hurt, and everything sucked so much that she didn’t even have the energy to compose a reply. Adora would expect an apology—she _ deserved _ an apology—and Catra wasn’t in the mood to do anything except keep her ass planted right where it was and watch another terrible movie.

Scorpia’s previous offering for Bad Movie Night, which was currently taking place at the unusually early hour of 4PM, had been a dubious film called _ Five-Headed Shark Attack. _ The shark had possessed four heads until about three quarters of the way through the movie, when its fifth head had appeared—surprise!—on its tail, of all places.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

“Someone’s here,” Catra hollered, without making a move to get up herself. For that, she forgave herself. It was Scorpia’s house, after all, not hers. 

Scorpia scurried out of the kitchen, carrying a bowl of freshly buttered popcorn and placing it in Catra’s lap. “Oh, it’s Adora,” she said, as though she hadn’t just dropped a grenade on their tenuously stable afternoon activities. “Be right there!” she shouted, trotting toward the door with energy to spare.

Catra sat bolt upright. “Adora?! Scorpia, don’t—”

But Scorpia wasn’t listening. “She texted me and said she didn’t know where you were, so I told her you were with me, and she asked if she could come over, and I said yes.” She paused for a breath as she opened the door. “Hi, Adora! She’s on the couch. Do you wanna watch a movie with us? I made extra popcorn.”

Catra’s ears flattened against her head, and her tail lashed nervously. She had two choices: bolt, or face the music. Running away would be stupid at this point, and probably pointless. Adora was her mate, not her enemy. But facing the music wasn’t appealing, either. Adora would undoubtedly want an explanation for her abrupt disappearance and lack of communication.

There wasn’t time to think. She remained frozen as Adora bustled past Scorpia, practically sprinting toward the couch. “Catra!” She crawled onto the cushion beside Catra, wrapping her in a tight, almost desperate embrace. The scent of alpha flooded her nose, and her tightly coiled muscles relaxed slightly. Adora smelled like home, and comfort, and with her around, maybe things wouldn’t be so bad after all… 

Catra coughed as her ribs were crushed, the thicker line of fur along her spine fluffing out in alarm. “Uh—ahem. Hmm. H—hey, Adora.”

Adora seemed to realize she was squeezing too hard. “Sorry,” she said, letting go and scooting back a bit. She kept her hand on Catra’s knee, though, and made no move to break the contact. “I was worried about you.”

“Oof. I was fine until you crushed me, She-Ra,” Catra grumbled. That was Adora’s soccer team nickname, so earned because of her juggernaut style of play. She was pretty much unstoppable, and Catra, who had played forward in their younger days before specializing as a goalie, remembered Adora looking about eight feet tall as she charged down the field.

Adora winced. “Are you okay?”

“Me?” Catra scoffed. “I ignore you all day, and the first thing you ask is if I’m okay?”

“Well, yeah.” Adora’s big blue eyes blinked in confusion. “Should I not?”

Catra sighed. This was the biggest problem with being Adora’s mate. Her alpha was so frustratingly _ noble _ and _ good _ that it was almost impossible to be mad at her for any significant length of time. “Sorry,” she forced herself to say—a skill she was still practicing. “I should’ve texted you, but I’m having a bad day and didn’t wanna drag you into it.”

“Catra,” Adora said, reaching out to stroke one of her errant ear tufts, “I wanna be there for you on your bad days.”

Despite herself, Catra leaned into the touch… until she noticed Scorpia watching them with a terribly sappy look of approval on her face. “You two are _ so _ cute,” she said, without any hint of embarrassment for eavesdropping.

“Hey, Scorpia,” Adora said, “can I talk to Catra in private for, like, five minutes? Then we can watch the movie, if that’s okay with you.” Though she addressed the question to Scorpia, she kept her eyes locked with Catra’s the whole time, letting her know the question was for her, too.

“Sure,” Scorpia said, as Catra nodded her reluctant agreement. “You know what? I can start dinner. You want dinner, right? I’ll make pasta. Oh, pasta salad! How’s that sound?”

“Sounds great,” Adora said as Scorpia hurried back into the kitchen.

A few moments later, there was a loud clatter followed by an equally loud “Oops!” as Scorpia dropped something new.

Catra looked at Adora for a moment, and then they both laughed.

“She’s great,” Adora said, giving Catra’s knee a reassuring squeeze. “Wish I’d hung out with her more in high school.”

“Yeah, she’s cool,” Catra mumbled.

“So, you wanna tell me what’s wrong?”

“I had a bad day.”

“Why?”

This was it, Catra realized. Her chance to come clean. To ask for help. All her instincts were screaming for her to lie, to blame her stress on something else. The start of college, maybe. But as Adora stared at her with those stupidly beautiful baby blue eyes, Catra found that her usual powers of deception had deserted her.

“I…” She swallowed, gathering her courage, but the words still wouldn’t come. Instead, tears welled in her eyes. She blinked them away angrily, unwilling to show such an obvious sign of weakness.

Adora scooted closer, draping an arm over the back of the couch near Catra’s shoulder. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. I’m on your side. Promise.”

_ I’m on your side. _

Adora was the first person who had ever said those words to her. It had taken years for Catra to believe she meant them, but now, she knew Adora was telling the truth. Even at the lowest point of their relationship, Adora had always tried to take care of her, though they hadn’t always agreed on the how. 

_ Fuck. The least I can do is be honest with her. This affects her, too. _

Catra cast her eyes down into her lap, staring at Adora’s hand on her leg. One thumb played idly with a hole in her leggings, a gesture Adora probably wasn’t even aware of. “You knocked me up,” she blurted out, her ears drooping with shame.

***

_ Knocked up? _

Adora stared at Catra in disbelief, struggling to process the statement. Her brain had come to a screeching halt, like a train running out of track. Then, a warm, tingly feeling spread through her stomach, and a slow smile spread across her face. “You’re pregnant?” she asked, clutching Catra’s leg in her excitement. “For real?”

Catra peeled her upper lip back from her fangs, and Adora’s smile faltered. “Dunno why you’re grinning like that,” she huffed. “This is a fucking _ problem, _ Adora. We’re going to college in two weeks! How’m I supposed to focus on school while I’m pregnant? Or after? Can you imagine doing homework with a litter of screaming kits in the same room?”

“We’ll figure it out.” Adora tried to tamp down her excitement, but she knew some of it had leaked through thanks to the scowl on Catra’s face. She ignored the swell of joy gripping her heart and tried to focus. “I mean, I’m here for you. No matter what. Even if you decide you can’t, um. Have them.”

Just voicing the possibility threatened to bring Adora’s soaring emotions crashing down again, but she knew Catra needed to hear it. And for Catra, she would do anything, even voice her support for something that threatened to break her heart moments after it had sprouted wings.

Catra heaved a sigh. “I don’t think I wanna terminate. I know it’s what I should probably do, but it gives me this weird… I don’t know.” She gestured, as if trying to convey an emotion she couldn’t find the words for. “When I was a kid, no one ever gave me a fucking chance. They saw me as garbage. Treated me like trash. I know whatever’s in me isn’t a kid yet, or even a person, but…”

Adora’s wildly spiraling emotions, from joy to fear to sympathy, threatened to make her nauseous, but she took a deep breath, trying to get a grip on herself. _ It isn’t about me right now. It’s about Catra. _ “I understand. It’s okay. Whatever you want or need is okay.”

Catra sniffed, blinking far too rapidly. “But I’m not ready to be a parent either, you know?” She raised her different-colored eyes to the ceiling, laughing as if in despair. “Look at the fucking examples I had. My parents who abandoned me, a string of shitty foster parents,_ Shadow Weaver… _”

Adora felt Catra flinch just saying the name. She took one of Catra’s clenched paws in her hand, running a thumb over the knuckles. “Don’t bring her into it. She isn’t part of our lives anymore.”

Catra continued as if she hadn’t heard. “I mean, yeah, sure. Some part of me wants to be a parent in the future so I can go, ‘Look at me and how not fucked up I am. Look how good and normal I turned out in spite of you, with a family of my own.’ But that’s a bad reason to be a parent, and I just…” Her voice trailed off, as if she’d suddenly lost her words.

Adora took that as her cue to pull Catra into her arms. “It’s okay,” she whispered, stroking Catra’s mane. It was an affectionate gesture that usually calmed Catra down, and this time was no exception. Slowly, Catra relaxed, releasing only the occasional quiet sniff into the crook of Adora’s neck.

Though she knew it wasn’t the right time, Adora couldn’t help but notice Catra’s scent. It was thicker and sweeter than usual, and as she buried her nose in Catra’s mane, she realized she couldn’t get enough. Puzzle pieces started coming together in her head. _ Guess this is why she keeps complaining everything stinks and doesn’t want her favorite foods. _

“Why are you acting so happy?” Catra mumbled into Adora’s shoulder, her voice muffled and dejected. “I just ruined your life, too.”

“What? No!” Adora pressed gently on Catra’s shoulder, forcing her to draw back and look up. “Our lives aren’t ruined at all. Yeah, it’ll be harder for us to get through school, but Brightmoon U. has a daycare service. We’ll schedule some of our classes at different times. Our friends will help.”

“Your friends,” Catra said, but her protests were weakening.

“Yours, too.” Adora raised her voice, calling into the kitchen through a cupped hand. “Hey, Scorpia! D’you like babysitting?”

Scorpia poked her head out of the kitchen, smiling broadly and wearing a pair of unwieldy oven mitts on her giant claws. “Heck, yeah! Who needs a babysitter?”

“No one yet,” Adora said, before Catra’s look of shock and horror could transform into one of anger. “We were just curious.”

Thankfully, Scorpia was the least suspicious person Adora had ever known. “Okay. Pasta salad’s almost done. I just need to wait for—” A loud beeping came from the kitchen, and Scorpia’s eyes widened. “Oh no! Be right back.” She dashed off to rescue the meal, and much to Adora’s relief, Catra cracked a small smile.

“What a dork,” Catra said. “She should be a mom, not me.”

“You’ll be a _ great _ Mom,” Adora insisted.

Catra’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Why’re you saying that? Other than because you don’t wanna hurt my feelings.”

Adora considered her answer for a moment, but found she didn’t have to think hard. “Because you’re already worrying about what makes a good parent versus a bad parent. You’re terrified you’re gonna hurt any kids we might have. I doubt Shadow Weaver ever worried about that stuff.”

“Everything was always about her, wasn’t it?” Catra agreed, with a note of sadness in her voice.

“Yeah.”

They both fell silent for a while, although Adora was pleased when Catra snuggled beneath her outstretched arm, trying to scoot closer. _ Wow. This is really happening. She’s pregnant. We’re pregnant. _ Images of tiny Catra’s bounced around in her head: crawling, climbing, kicking soccer balls. She gazed down at the nervous omega tucked against her side, feeling a surge of protectiveness. 

“I know this is hard, but I’m here for you, Catra. No matter what. Please, believe me.”

Catra uncurled from her sad ball, flopping onto her back instead. She rested her feet on the couch’s armrest and her head in Adora’s lap, gazing up at the ceiling. “I don’t hate the idea. I mean, little Adoras running around? That’s cute. They’d be so dumb and sweet.”

“Uh, thanks? So, how does this work, exactly? Between a human alpha and a magikat omega?”

Catra shrugged without lifting her head from Adora’s lap. “Fuck if I know. Thinner fur, maybe? Slightly shorter ears? Stub tail?” A small smile crept onto her face, and Adora allowed herself to smile back. “They’re gonna bite and claw the shit out of you when they’re teething.”

Adora’s heart began to race. _ When. She said when. When! _ “I’m pretty tough, y’know. I can handle it.”

“Handle what?”

Scorpia entered the room, balancing three steaming bowls precariously between her arms. Catra leapt up to help immediately, though Adora suspected it was mostly because she didn’t want her dinner to fall all over the floor. Bearing two of the bowls back to the couch, Catra handed one over and plopped down beside Adora again.

“Thanks for feeding us, Scorpia,” Adora said before she tucked in, though her mouth was already watering.

Scorpia beamed. “No problem. Hey, what movie do we wanna watch?”

Adora glanced at Catra, checking to make sure she was still up for a movie. Catra eyed the case of old DVDs next to the television stand before pointing at one. _ “I Bought A Vampire Motorcycle.” _

The title nearly made Adora choke on her first bite of food. “Wait, seriously? That’s a real movie?”

Catra nodded seriously. “A classic. Right, Scorpia?”

“Definitely,” Scorpia said, hurrying over to the DVD case to put the movie in. “You’re gonna love it.”

Adora grinned, wrapping an arm around Catra’s shoulders and sighing contentedly as her mate shifted closer. Any movie was great as long as Catra was with her, although they definitely still had a lot to talk about later.

***

As the evening wore on, Catra began feeling better. _ I Bought A Vampire Motorcycle _ had her laughing half-way through, and with some effort, she succeeded in pushing her fears to the back of her mind. With her belly full of food, her mate on one side and her best friend on the other, she felt much calmer and more confident.

The fact that Adora was pumping out protective, reassuring pheromones certainly didn’t hurt. She was the only pleasant thing Catra had smelled all day. Even Scorpia, who had a soothing, inoffensive beta smell that occasionally got her mistaken for an omega out of heat, hadn’t been able to offer that kind of comfort, but Adora’s scent had taught her how to breathe again.

It also put interesting thoughts in Catra’s head as the movie came to a close. She inhaled, holding a deep draught of her mate’s scent in her nose, and unexpected feelings began bubbling to the surface. She’d hoped it would help maintain her relaxed state a little longer, but instead, familiar heat simmered low in her belly, expanding swiftly outward.

_ Seriously? How the fuck did I go from angry and terrified to turned on? _ But there was no denying the flutter of arousal in her stomach as Adora’s thigh shifted against hers, pressing closer. Close enough for her to feel the warmth of Adora’s leg through two layers of clothing.

A shiver raced down Catra’s spine, but she didn’t pull away. She swallowed, trying to remain casual so her own scent wouldn’t respond. No need to let Scorpia know she was getting horny for practically no reason. It was probably time to make their escape, since the prospect of returning to Glimmer’s house didn’t feel quite so unbearable anymore.

“Adora and I are gonna head out,” Catra said. “This was fun, though.”

“We should do it again,” Adora added, sliding her hand along Catra’s thigh. A hand that found a maddeningly high resting place close to her pelvis.

“Absolutely,” Scorpia agreed. To Catra’s relief, she seemed unaffected. If she’d noticed anything in their scents or body language, she was polite enough not to let on. “How about Friday? I could make stir fry next time. Ha, Stir-Friday! That’s funny. Wonder if anyone else has ever thought of it?”

“Count us in.” Adora stood, and Catra mourned the loss of contact until the alpha offered her hand again. She didn’t need help, but she accepted it anyway, just for an excuse to reestablish touch. Once she was on her feet, she didn’t let go. Her fingers curled tighter around Adora’s, not even surrendering them while Scorpia hugged her goodbye.

“Text me when you get home safe,” Scorpia called as they walked out the front door and down the drive toward Adora’s dusty white Chevy Silverado, which was in sore need of a wash.

“We will.” Catra finally dropped Adora’s hand to grab her skateboard from the porch, tossing it in back before walking around to the driver’s seat. Adora joined her, a little dumbfounded, and Catra reached into her mate’s pocket, fishing out the keys she knew were there.

“Shouldn’t I be driving?” Adora asked.

“Nope.” Catra tossed the keys in the air and caught them before opening the door and sliding behind the wheel.

“It’s my truck, though.”

Catra leaned one arm on the lowered windowsill, looking out at Adora with an arched brow. “So?”

“So, you’ll move over?”

Catra rolled her eyes. “Just get in. Let me have this. I need to feel in control of something, even if it’s just your old, dirty truck.”

“Not that dirty,” Adora protested, but she circled around to the passenger’s seat. Rather than dwell on her defeat, she put their squabble behind her, smiling as she buckled her seatbelt.

“What’re you grinning about, goofball?” Catra asked, surprised by the softness in her own tone. Her affection for Adora really had sanded down some of her rough edges.

“You know. Stuff.”

“What?”

“Do you actually want an answer, or do you wanna avoid the topic?”

Catra regarded her with narrowed eyes. “Tell me.”

“I’m thinking about my favorite children’s books from when I was a kid. Deciding which ones are must-reads for our kids. When we have them.”

Catra waited for the panic to hit, but to her surprise and relief, it never came. Apparently, confiding in Adora had alleviated a considerable amount of her anxiety. “Know what I’m thinking about now?” she asked as she pulled away from the curb, heading out of Scorpia’s neighborhood and toward Glimmer’s.

“What?”

“All the shit I never got to do as a kid. How I could make sure our kids get to do the same stuff, someday. Like, I always wanted to skateboard, but I couldn’t until I got a job to buy my board. And I wanted to go to Disney World, but, well. Foster kid. No one was gonna spend that kind of money on me. I wanted to learn to swim—”

Adora looked at her in surprise. “You? Swim?”

“Hey, _ some _ magikats can swim. I always thought it’d be cool to learn how. Or go to the beach for vacation. Shit, it’d be cool to go on a vacation period. No one’s ever taken me on one.”

“We could go to the beach someday if you want,” Adora said.

“Me and you, or… us?”

“Both.”

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, driving along dark, quiet streets until they arrived at their destination. Catra parked by the curb, since Glimmer and Angella’s cars were in the garage, and exhaled a heavy breath. “Made it back by curfew. Two more weeks until we can act like proper adults.”

The rule-abiding Adora usually defended Angella when this particular subject came up—“It’s reasonable to ask guests not to stomp into the house at 3 AM,” she often said when Catra complained—but she remained quiet and thoughtful this time, which put Catra on edge.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Adora said, unbuckling her seatbelt. “Wait here, and keep the truck running, okay?”

Catra checked the dash. “It’s kinda late to go somewhere else. You taking me on a snack run or something? Because I’m cool with that.”

“Just hold on a minute.” Without any further explanation, Adora hopped out of the passenger’s seat and trotted to the front door, disappearing inside.

Catra watched her go, frowning in confusion. _ What’s that weirdo up to this time? _

***

“Hey, everybody,” Adora called as she closed the door behind her. “We’re back.”

Glimmer appeared first, thumping down the stairs in a hurry. “Everything okay?” she asked, with enough concern to tell Adora that she cared more about Catra’s well-being than she let on.

“Actually, things are great. Where’s your Mom? I gotta ask her something.”

“Ask me what?” Angella appeared, gliding into the foyer from the kitchen. Even in the privacy and comfort of her own home, she was always impeccably dressed. Tonight was no exception, and she still wore the purple pantsuit she’d undoubtedly gone to work in. 

Adora launched into her explanation. “So this is kind of last minute, but I was hoping I could take Catra somewhere tonight. She got some news…”

Angella’s eyebrows rose. “Not bad news, I hope?”

“I don’t think so? It’s complicated. Anyway, she’s in a weird place, so I was thinking I’d take her to Lake Butler tonight. Get some stargazing in.”

“Lake Butler is almost two hours away,” Angella said.

Adora’s hopes rose, because it wasn’t an outright ‘no’. Though she was an adult, and Angella wasn’t her mother, she wanted to respect the rules of the woman who had given her and Catra a place to stay. “She told me today that no one’s ever taken her on vacation. Which I already knew, I guess, since Shadow Weaver didn’t do vacations. But hearing it out loud made me wanna change that. One night at the lake in my truck isn’t exactly a vacation, but…”

Angella’s face softened. “I’m sorry, I had no idea.”

Glimmer was less polite about expressing her disapproval. “What? Neither of you has ever been on vacation? That’s shit.”

“Glimmer. Language.”

“Come on, Mom. It’s shit, and you know it.”

To Adora’s surprise, Angella laughed. “You’re right. It _ is _ shit. Adora, you should absolutely take Catra to Lake Butler. And thank you for telling me first instead of just driving off into the night. I would have worried about the two of you.”

“Really?” Excitement bubbled in Adora’s belly as she began planning the night ahead. “Thanks!” She leaned in, giving Angella a tight hug, which was immediately returned. Then, she darted up to the guest room she and Catra had made their own the past few months, already working on a mental list of what they’d need.

***

“Come on,” Catra complained from the passenger’s seat, where Adora had forced her to sit for the past hour and a half without answering any of her numerous questions. “You know I hate surprises. Just tell me where we’re going already.”

The mysterious smile that had hovered on Adora’s lips since their departure from Glimmer’s house only spread wider. “Not yet. You’ll like this surprise, though, I promise. Don’t you trust me?”

“You know I do,” Catra said, “although I probably shouldn’t. Some of your other ‘surprises’ have included water balloons, fake mice, and a couple really disgusting cooking experiments.”

“They weren’t all disgusting,” Adora argued as she slowed down, turning onto a gravel road.

The change in texture under the tires prompted Catra to look out the window. There were no street lights in sight, nor any other cars. Adora was driving them through what looked like the middle of the woods. “Okay, now you gotta tell me. Where the fuck are we?”

“Just wait like two more minutes.”

Catra recognized the stubbornness in Adora’s tone, and accepted the fact that she wouldn’t find out before her mate felt like sharing. She slumped in her seat, resigned to her frustrations, until Adora stopped the truck. “We’re here!”

Catra spotted the sign immediately, embossed on a placard of wood and illuminated by the headlights. “Lake Butler?”

The look Adora gave her was almost shy. “You said Shadow Weaver never took you on vacation, which is true for me, too. So, uh. It’s not the beach, but I thought…”

Warmth bloomed in Catra’s chest, filling her with a sudden burst of love and affection. She leaned over without bothering to unbuckle her seatbelt, cupping Adora’s cheek and drawing her in for a deep kiss of gratitude. Adora returned it gladly, lips parting, eager fingers running through Catra’s mane.

“How are you so damn perfect?” Catra muttered into Adora’s mouth, barely willing to stop long enough to ask the question. She didn’t know what she’d done in a past life to deserve an alpha like this, but she wasn’t complaining.

Adora didn’t answer with words. She broke the kiss, leaving Catra gasping, and took her hand, squeezing softly. “Are you okay with spending the night in the truck? I threw loads of blankets and snacks in back, and pop tarts for breakfast.”

“The s’mores ones?” Catra asked hopefully.

“What other kind would I bring you?”

Catra’s eyes began to sting, but she sniffed and wiped them with her forearm, refusing to cry because she was happy. _ Maybe things aren’t so hopeless. Maybe with Adora’s help, the future will turn out okay after all. Our future. _

“Hey,” Adora said. “You all right?”

“‘Course I’m all right, you dork.” Catra blinked the dampness from her eyes and finally dealt with her seatbelt, unbuckling so she could exit the truck. “C’mon. Let’s see what snacks you brought.”

Adora had definitely gone overboard on the snack packing, Catra realized as she inspected their haul, shoved haphazardly into some of Angella’s reusable grocery bags. There were pop tarts, as promised, as well as two kinds of chips, pretzels, chocolate bars, graham crackers, and marshmallows.

“I was thinking we’d make actual s’mores,” Adora said, “but then I realized neither of us know how to make a fire in the woods. So… there’s raw, unmelted marshmallows, if you want ‘em?”

Catra was hardly listening. She’d turned her attention to the lake, clearly visible through the thin treeline that bordered the water. They were parked at the forest’s edge, in an otherwise empty dirt lot that formed a sort of clearing. Moonlight danced on the lake’s surface, making it appear brighter than it was, and giving the water a silvery glow.

Stars shone high above, too, far larger and more brilliant than Catra had ever seen them before. “Whoa,” she said, gazing up at the sky. “I didn’t know there were so many little stars between the big stars. Or that the night sky was a sort of pinkish gold.”

“Yeah,” Adora sighed, pausing in her adjustment of the blankets to lean back in the truck’s bed and follow the gesture of Catra’s hand. “It’s beautiful.”

Catra took it all in, nearly overwhelmed by a flood of emotion. “You’re right,” she whispered, turning back to her mate. Adora was possibly the only thing in the world more beautiful than their surroundings, wearing a shabby grey hoodie for the mild summer night, struggling to fix the blankets without making either of them get up. “I’ve decided I do like surprises. This surprise, anyway.”

She leaned in, and Adora’s lips welcomed hers.

***

When Catra kissed her again, Adora knew everything would be all right. She’d spent the evening in a suspended state of worry as well as excitement—worry for Catra’s emotional wellbeing more than anything. But as Catra moaned into her mouth, shifting closer beneath the blankets, Adora’s doubts evaporated. Catra was definitely feeling better, at least for the moment.

Still, she didn’t want her mate to feel obligated. “I don’t expect anything,” she said, placing a gentle hand on Catra’s chest. “You know, since—”

“Shut up.” Catra took Adora’s hand, sliding it lower to cup her breast. “What’s the worst that could happen? You already knocked me up.”

Adora responded with a short bark of laughter. Catra had a point. Besides, she could smell her mate’s rising need, the intoxicating omega-scent that had been the center of her world for years. “I love you, y’know.” Adora started a gentle kneading motion, stroking one of Catra’s ear-tufts with her other hand. 

Catra tilted her head, pressing into Adora’s touch. “Then prove it.”

Adora was more than happy to oblige. She resumed kissing Catra’s waiting mouth, tipping the omega onto her back as gently as possible. Instead of covering Catra with her weight, she busied herself removing her hoodie, then Catra’s shirt. The weather was warm, even at night by the lake, and she wanted to feel Catra’s thin, silky fur against her skin.

They helped each other out of their clothes, occasionally huffing with impatience or laughing at their own awkward fumbling. Soon enough, they were naked, gazing at each other in the thin columns of moonlight that streamed through the gaps in the trees.

Adora stared, captivated. Catra was, and always had been, the most beautiful omega she’d ever seen. Her striped, orange-brown fur shone almost amber in the low light, and she wore a tender smile on her face. A smile Catra rarely lowered her walls enough to show, and Adora knew was reserved just for her.

_ And maybe our kids, someday… _

The thought filled her with the same fluttery joy she’d felt when Catra had first told her. She tried to put that joy into her kisses, into her touches, as she pressed Catra back onto the blankets, nuzzling the crook of her neck and nibbling along the line of her shoulder.

For once, Catra didn’t rock her hips or rake her claws with impatience, urging Adora to go faster. She wasn’t the type of omega to lie back and take it without responding in kind, but this time, she remained still, trembling.

Adora looked into Catra’s eyes, but saw no reluctance there—just a fragile sort of hope she only recognized because of how long they’d known each other. “You okay?” she asked anyway, just to be sure.

Catra rolled her eyes, as if trying to conceal the moment of softness. “Stop being so damn considerate and get me off already.” She spread her legs, hooking an ankle behind one of Adora’s knees, and pushed down on the top of her head.

Adora knew what that signal meant. She latched onto one of Catra’s nipples and sucked as her hand went to work, stroking Catra’s inner thigh before finally cupping between her legs.

The wetness there confirmed what Catra’s scent had already said: her omega was in need. Adora felt a sense of relief, along with a powerful pull between her own legs as blood rushed to her clit, causing her to lengthen and swell. She didn’t know all the right ways to support Catra over the long term yet, but she knew what she could do right now. What they both wanted to do.

“I love you,” she murmured against Catra’s sternum as she circled the omega’s clit with the pads of her fingers, finding it delightfully slippery and stiff. She pressed it and played with it, smearing Catra’s wetness around it until her mate started letting out the high, pretty whimpering noises she always denied making afterwards.

“Inside,” Catra gasped, tightening her knee around Adora’s waist. “Fuck, please, _ inside.” _

Adora switched to Catra’s other nipple, swirling her tongue around the pebbled peak before capturing it with her teeth. The sudden jerk of Catra’s pelvis when she gave a light tug convinced her not to delay any longer. She slid her ring and middle fingers inside in one smooth motion, curling them as her thumb fell into place on Catra’s clit.

“Fuck! Fucking _ fuck.” _

Catra sounded so plaintive that Adora gave a panting laugh against her chest. “You like that, huh?” she murmured, hooking her fingers again for good measure. Catra’s eyes rolled back in her head, and her mouth hung open as her inner walls squeezed tight.

Adora kept her movements slow and purposeful, more curl than thrust. She enjoyed the soft, slick heat pulsing around her fingers, as well as the slight ridges she could feel on Catra’s puffy front wall. Catra’s hips twitched whenever she hit them, so she pressed even harder, until the tendons in her forearm burned.

This time, there wasn’t any mewling. No mumbled swears, either. Catra came in total silence, except for her ragged breathing. Adora only realized it was happening because the muscles of Catra’s stomach tensed, quivering as she spilled a stream of heat into her hand and down her wrist.

Both of Catra’s legs locked around her waist, making sure she couldn’t pull away. Her head lolled to one side, and her eyes screwed shut as she finally let out the choked cry she hadn’t managed before. “Adoraaah…”

There was nothing Adora loved more than hearing Catra say her name, especially in moments like this. Her cock throbbed against Catra’s leg, heavy with need, but she ignored the building pressure as she returned to Catra’s breasts, kissing around a painfully stiff-looking nipple before soothing it with flat sweeps of her tongue. She’d have her turn later, after she guided her mate through the rest of her orgasm. She pumped her fingers, curling at the end of each stroke, making sure to catch Catra’s front wall on the way out.

Catra’s peak lasted a long time. Whenever Adora felt the omega go limp, she redoubled her efforts until Catra started mumbling and swearing again, spilling more hot slips of wetness into her palm. “That’s it,” she whispered as she kissed her way over to Catra’s other nipple, preparing to lavish it with the same attention. “I’ve got you. You’re so beautiful. So good. So perfect.”

She filled Catra up with praise, words she knew her mate needed to hear, but was much too stubborn to ask for. And it worked. By the time she was finished, Catra was a trembling mess atop the blankets. She had a glazed look in her eyes, as well as a blissfully peaceful expression on her face. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t need to. Her smile spoke for her.

It was the sight of her mate, thoroughly dishevelled and satisfied, that made Adora’s own need too unbearable to ignore any longer. Since Catra’s legs had fallen limp to either side, she withdrew her fingers and sat up, taking herself in hand. The fullness throbbing in her fist was more insistent than expected, and a groan escaped before she could stifle it. 

Normally, she didn’t touch herself during sex. There wasn’t much need, since Catra was always happy to do it for her—although Adora had stuck to the promise she’d made their very first time, and almost always made Catra come at least once before allowing her to return the favor. But this time, she couldn’t wait, not even the short time it would take Catra to recover. She bit her lip as she pumped her cock, using Catra’s lingering wetness and the fluid leaking from the head to smooth out each stroke.

She desperately wanted to stretch back over Catra and push inside her. To slide into the soft, warm walls that had welcomed her fingers mere moments ago. To angle her hips in the way that always made Catra scream her name, and guide their bodies in a rhythm that would make them both come this time. But Catra still seemed happily exhausted, and Adora didn’t have the heart to disturb her.

“Adora…”

Adora’s eyes flicked up briefly to Catra’s face, where a smirk had taken up residence, replacing her former dreamy smile. Then, they darted down again, to where Catra’s fingers had replaced her own. She was spreading the slick, swollen lips of her pussy open, revealing the deeper, darker pink folds inside and causing the shaft of her clit to push out from beneath its hood.

“Take me. I want it.”

Adora practically threw herself back onto Catra, only to find herself stopped by a hand in the center of her chest. Apparently, Catra had gotten her second wind. She urged Adora to sit back on her heels, and Adora automatically braced herself on both hands as Catra climbed atop her.

“I want it,” Catra repeated as she pushed Adora’s hand away, taking over the job of stroking Adora’s cock herself. “I want _ you.” _

_ Me. She wants me. _

Adora doubted she’d ever get over the giddiness she felt whenever Catra said those words. She sighed with happiness, then shuddered, the noise turning into a muffled grunt as Catra sank down, enveloping her in liquid warmth.

As soon as she felt Catra stretch to take her tip, Adora came. She clutched the blankets in both fists, mouth hanging open as the unbearable fullness pounding along her shaft burst free. An embarrassed blush burned her cheeks, but there was no stopping now. She could only watch with conflicted delight and disappointment as she peaked well before she was ready, spilling thick streams of come anywhere and everywhere except inside.

“Fuck,” Catra laughed, hurrying to slide the rest of the way down. “Haven’t learned to last any longer since our first time, huh?” But it was a good-natured joke, and didn’t convey any real disappointment.

Adora was too overwhelmed to respond. Her head spun at the sudden contrast of sensations, and her cock pulsed in the warm grip of Catra’s walls, spilling even faster as the omega squeezed around her.

Catra’s face dropped to her shoulder, nuzzling there. “That’s it. Want it all…” Her hand dove between her legs, and Adora watched in awe as Catra rubbed her own clit, fingers flying fast and without mercy. Their mingled wetness ran everywhere, dampening the fur on Catra’s inner thighs.

Adora hurried to wrap her arms around Catra’s waist, pulling her mate into a tight embrace. Her knot throbbed, reminding her that it still wasn’t inside where it desperately needed to be, but she forgot all about it as Catra rippled around her, drawing everything she had deep inside. Just this, just being inside Catra as they both found release, was more than enough.

***

“Holy shit,” Catra rasped as she came down from her second, or maybe third, orgasm of the night. They’d all sort of blended together after the first. She didn’t fully remember when or how Adora had tipped her back onto the blankets either, but she didn’t have any objections.

Moving on top of her, Adora seemed lost in sensation. Her hips churned at a desperate pace, a rough, quick tempo the alpha only ever used while she was on the brink. Apparently, one orgasm hadn’t been enough for her, either. Her cock was still swollen, hitting hard and deep with every stroke.

Catra relished moments like this, moments when Adora forgot some of her noble self-restraint, and she knew exactly what to do. Adora liked being praised almost as much as she did, so she raked her claws lightly down Adora’s back, murmuring against her ear.

_ “Yes. _Just like that. You always fuck me so good.”

Adora’s hips jerked slightly out of rhythm. She shuddered, pushing her knot against Catra’s opening. “Please… please, I need…”

Catra knew she could take her mate’s knot. She always did. Craved it, in fact, despite—or perhaps because of—its considerable size. She remembered exactly how big it was, and exactly how overwhelming it felt breaching her entrance. Like she was stuffed so full, stretched so wide, she couldn’t move or breathe at first.

“Yeah. Just… just give me a sec…” Catra went from clawing Adora’s back to stroking it, trying to get her to slow down for a moment, only long enough to make sure the angle was right. But Adora couldn’t seem to stop moving. Her instincts wouldn’t let her, and Catra winced. It would be tricky to accept the tie while her alpha was so impatient, despite her slickness and Adora’s come running everywhere.

“Easy there. You’re acting like you _ really _ wanna prove these kits are yours right now.”

Adora stiffened for a moment, then shuddered with delight. The cracked moan that spilled from her throat made it obvious that Catra had struck upon something with those words, but it was nothing compared to what followed. In a moment of intense passion, Adora withdrew part-way and took both of Catra’s ankles in hand, lifting them onto her shoulders.

The new angle made Catra’s eyes widen in surprise. It made Adora’s knot feel even bigger as the alpha rolled against her, trying to push inside, but it also made entry easier. With her legs lifted and spread, Adora had no trouble at all sinking past her entrance with a soft, wet pop.

It was Catra’s turn to shudder. The muscles in her back and stomach bunched, and her head lolled to one side as she struggled to process the intense barrage of sensations. Big. Adora’s knot was _ so fucking big, _and it was all the way inside, filling her, forcing her to make room.

When Adora started moving, shallow strokes still brimming with strength, Catra realized her next orgasm would wipe her out. She’d already come so hard, and so many times, but she sensed that the peak building inside her would crash over her like a thunderous wave. To ground herself, she searched for Adora’s scent, finding it in the crook of her mate’s shoulder. It reminded her how to breathe, and she pulled in air like a woman drowning as Adora fucked her into the blankets with all the raw power of an alpha in need.

“Mine,” Adora growled, nipping Catra’s pulse point. It was only a light graze of teeth, but it made her fur stand on end and sent sparks zipping down her spine. _ “Mine.” _

Adora was rarely possessive. She wasn’t anything like the stereotypical alpha, always looking for opportunities to assert dominance or seize control. And somehow, Catra knew, Adora wasn’t really trying to dominate her, or even “claim” her in the usual sense. They already belonged to each other, and they both knew it. Instead, Adora was willing her to listen. Willing her to believe that she belonged to someone—to part of a family. Willing her to trust in the fact that she was loved.

_ She’s mine, and I’m hers. She’ll be here no matter what, taking care of me and them. _

“Ours,” Catra agreed, just before sinking her teeth into the old mark on Adora’s shoulder. Her skin was warm, with an edge of salt from the sweat of her exertions, and it was the best thing Catra had ever tasted in her life.

Adora came again as soon as Catra bit down. Her hips gave an urgent snap, and then she sank her teeth into Catra’s mark, establishing a firm hold as everything she’d been holding back came pouring forth. Catra moaned around her own bite as spurts of heat spilled inside her, splashing back against the knot only to be stopped by the tie. Her inner walls expanded instead, straining to hold and keep Adora’s come.

The fullness, the strain, the rush of warmth so incredibly deep inside, was more than Catra could bear. Her orgasm hit just as hard as she’d thought it would, coursing through her entire body from head to toe. There was nothing to do but surrender, to ride the wave as far as it would carry her and trust that Adora would help her surface again.

***

Adora slumped, exhausted, atop Catra’s limp form, breathing heavily without withdrawing her teeth. Catra’s fur grew at a strange slant there, showing off her scar quite clearly. It would also show the light bruising Adora had left for several days too, unless Catra made an effort to cover it. 

It was Catra who removed her teeth first, and Adora winced a little as she did. Magikat teeth were much sharper than human teeth, and she could tell her own mark would look a lot angrier the next morning, but she didn’t mind. In fact, she kind of looked forward to seeing the results in the mirror.

“Whoa.”

Adora broke her own hold and laughed, though it was more gasping breath than sound. “Good?” she asked, even though she knew it had been.

“The kind of sex worth getting pregnant for,” Catra answered.

If Adora hadn’t already stopped worrying, the note of humor in Catra’s voice would have erased her doubts completely. It wouldn’t be easy, she knew. They’d have to lean on their friends a whole lot, and probably make some pretty big sacrifices to balance college and kits. But neither of them would have to do it alone. 

“How did it even happen in the first place?” she wondered aloud. “I was so surprised when you told me I never stopped to ask. I mean, we don’t use condoms, but you’re on birth control.”

Catra snorted. “Fuck if I know. I took the damn test at least three times to make sure. Guess I’m in that lucky less than one percent.”

“Or you forgot your pill for a day or two,” Adora said. Knowing Catra, that was the most likely explanation.

“Shit. Probably.”

They lapsed into silence again.

“It’s not… the worst thing that could’ve happened,” Catra said, in a much softer voice. “It’s bad timing. _ Really _ bad timing. But we can make it work, right? You’ll make sure I can still go to school and—”

“I _ promise _ I’ll make sure you still have time to go to school. And hey, they’ll be born after the soccer season’s over, so maybe I can take a light class load in the spring. Stay with them most of the time while you study for your finals.”

Catra rolled her eyes helplessly toward the star-strewn sky. “Fuck me! We’ll have newborns like a month before my _ first ever _ college finals.”

“You can do it,” Adora said, placing a reassuring kiss right on Catra’s nose. “I’ve always known you can do anything.”

“Stop being mushy,” Catra grumbled, but she couldn’t quite hide her smile. “And, uh, can you reach the box of pop tarts in the bag while we’re still tied? Because I’m fucking starving.”

Adora shifted on top of Catra, straining to reach the handle of the bag, but eventually, she grabbed it and pulled it over, digging out the box and unwrapping one pair of pop tarts. “Can I have the crusts?” she asked, already breaking them off and ignoring the crumbs that fell on the blankets.

“‘Course, but why would you _ want _ them? They’re the worst part of the pop tart.”

“Excuse you,” Adora said, handing Catra the thicker middle section, which looked rather rough around the edges. “They’re the _ best _ part of the pop tart.”

Catra paused, smiling instead of shoving the first pop tart in her mouth.

“What?”

“Just thinkin’.”

“About?”

“Wondering which, if any, of our kits will eat pop tarts with the crusts on. The wrong way.”

Adora grinned. It seemed like she and Catra were on the same page—nervous, but tentatively excited to discover what kind of people these little mixtures of them both would turn out to be. “They’ll get the best traits from both of us. How could they not? And you’ll be a great mom.”

For the first time, Catra didn’t refute the statement. “Well, I have a whole long list of what _ not _ to do from really shitty lived experience… so eventually I’ve gotta figure out what _ to _ do, right?”

“Right,” Adora agreed as she nibbled on Catra’s crusts, licking her lips for the crumbs. She only paused when Catra, who had already wolfed hers down, arched up to kiss her. It wasn’t a deep kiss, but it made Adora’s heart thump faster anyway.

“You taste like chocolate,” Catra murmured as she pulled away.

“Mm?”

“I like it. And I love you.”

“Me too,” Adora sighed, letting more of her weight rest on Catra as she settled into a comfortable cuddling position. Catra relaxed beneath her, and soon, a low rumble began in her chest, causing Adora’s skin to tingle pleasantly with the vibrations. Her omega was purring, they were under the stars, and everything would be okay.


End file.
